Page 17 of Unspoken Passions

For several, crucial seconds, Ella didn’t understand what was going on. And then the trunk closed in on her, blocking out the afternoon sunshine. Suddenly, she was in darkness and she wasn’t sure why.

It took her another moment to realize she’d just been abducted.

Chapter 8

“Darn it!” Loretta groaned. “I forgot to tell Ella that we need more change.” Turning, she grabbed her phone and dialed Ella’s cell number. When Ella didn’t answer, Loretta grinned. “Having a good time with your new boyfriend?” she muttered.

Stepping outside for her break, she contemplated heading over to the sheriff’s office to tease Ella about her newest obsession. That’s when she noticed the phone laying on the sidewalk.

Picking it up, she read the message that was still available on the screen. “Don’t do the red dress plan!” was the first line. “Mick has a better plan. We’ll mess things up if we do our thing.”

But the message hadn’t been sent.

Loretta looked around, wondering why Ella hadn’t sent the message. And yes, she was sure this was Ella’s phone. Ella’s coffee shop logo was on the back of the case.

In the distance, Loretta spotted a black sedan that took the corner a little too fast. That’s when instinct took over. With a gasp, she raced down the block and into the sheriff’s office.

“Where’s Mick?” she demanded of the deputy sitting in the lobby.

The man looked up and immediately understood something was wrong. “He’s in a meeting. But I’ll get him out here for you.” He was already reaching for the phone. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I think Ella’s been kidnapped.”

The man froze for a fraction of a second, then began dialing.

“Boss, get out here. Now.”

He slammed down the phone and opened the door that led to the lobby area.

Loretta was pacing back and forth by the time Mick appeared, his fingers looped over his utility belt. “Loretta? What’s wrong? Where’s Ella?”

“I don’t know. She stepped out to do something, I can’t remember now. But I realized that I needed change for the cash register, so I followed her. That’s when I found this,” she explained quickly, extending her hand. “It was laying on the sidewalk and when I looked up, I saw a black sedan heading around a corner going too fast. I don’t know if she’s in the sedan, but I don’t like this Mick! Something doesn’t feel right. I might be making too much of this but–”

“No, you’re right,” he interrupted. Turning to his deputy, he ordered, “Send out an alert. Issue a BOLO on a black sedan heading…?” He turned to Loretta. “Which way?”

“They turned right onto McPherson Street,” she told him.

“South on McPherson,” he called out. Then he pulled out his radio. “All units, possible two oh seven in progress. Black sedan heading south on McPherson. Repeat, all units respond to kidnapping.” He turned to Loretta. “How many people in the sedan?”

Loretta closed her eyes, her fingers trembling as she tried to concentrate. Then she shook her head and opened her eyes. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see into the car. I wasn’t looking!” The last words ended on a sob and she covered her mouth.

“Give me her phone,” Mick ordered, his voice calm even as his heart pounded against his ribs. He would get her back. This wasn’t a promise, it was a vow. He and Ella weren’t going to have just one night together, damn it! They would have an entire lifetime! He wanted to wake up with Ella in his arms every morning. He wanted to argue with her about grocery shopping and who was going to cook dinner. He wanted to walk into parent teacher conferences with her and see her secret smile as the teacher explained that their child was incredibly intelligent, but a bit of a prankster.

He wasn’t going to lose her to a group of pricks who liked to abuse women!

Chapter 9

The sudden light was blinding! Ella covered her eyes as the trunk was opened. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the bright light, but not before two men grabbed one of her arms and pulled her out of the trunk that had been her prison for what felt like hours, but had probably only been twenty or thirty minutes.

She was across the railroad tracks, she thought, then looked around, trying to figure out exactly where she was. Unfortunately, her hair was in her eyes and the men on either side of her were holding her arms in a way that didn’t allow for her to push her locks away.

Gravel, she noted. They were parked on gravel. And there weren’t any sounds other than the voices calling to one another.

Focusing on the details so that she could relay them to Mick helped her suppress the panic. When she looked up again, she nearly gasped with surprise. A warehouse? These assholes had holed up in a warehouse?

No wonder Mick and the others couldn’t find these people. Everyone had been looking for a house where the prostitution operation could give the customers privacy. A warehouse definitely didn’t offer much privacy for the…uh…sexual acts.

And that brought up a whole new range of questions.

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